With terrorist activity increasing new technologies are being developed enabling the detection of biological threat agents both in combat and civilian environments. Current detection methods identifying biological threat agents, such as viruses and bacteria, use ELISA (enzyme linked immunological assay) and PCR (polymerase chain reaction, based on nucleic acid amplification) as operative core platforms. Such detection methods work well in hospitals or other medical institutions but are not as well suited for biodefense applications, such as detecting biological threat agents during combat or in compromised environments. ELISA and other antibody-based methods relay on stable antibodies and enzymes, which have low stability after deployment and therefore do not last long during combat or during long transports to suspected compromised areas. PCR methods require thermal cyclers, energy supply sources, and a large logistic footprint that either consumes resources needed in other tasks or sensitive equipment that is not easy to transport.
In addition, ELIZA and PCR based detection methods are limited in that they are not able to detect multiple threat agents at once, particularly under conditions encountered in combat or a threat situation. One is able to detect several virus types using PCR, but the amount of virus types that can be detected at once is limited by the number of fluorochromes that are available for differentiating. In addition, PCR multiplexing techniques are generally expensive and required delicate equipment that is not easily transported. PCR multiplexing is costly, complex, and does not function well to analyze the massive amounts of agent present after a biological attack.